Category Archives: Politically Incorrect

America’s favorite comedy satire is celebrating their 20th anniversary in the best of ways. According toScreen Rant,Comedy Central has announced an epic 8-day marathon ofSouth Parkas they count down the days to the debut of their 21st season.

With twenty years of episodes to choose from, fans will have plenty to keep their binge-watching session going. Comedy Central plans to air 127 hours ofSouth Park over a period of eight days, which adds up to 254 episodes. In case you forgot,The Simpsons did the same in 2014 to celebrate their 25th anniversary.

Comedy Central

TheSouth Parkmarathon begins on September 6 and will basically be a warm up for the new season which airs on September 13.

And of course, we can expect Comedy Central to inundate social media with news of the marathon using the newSouth Parkemoji on Twitter, along with the hashtags #SouthPark, #NewSouthPark, #SouthPark21, #Cartman, and #Memberberries (only real fans know what we’re talking about).

The marathon will also be a great opportunity to revisit the best scenes from the show, from all the times Kenny died to the many hilarious Mr. Mackey quotes, mkay?

And if for some crazy reason you are new toSouth Park, the marathon will be an excellent opportunity for you to get to know the most politically incorrect cult show on television, even if the writers do say they are done making fun of Donald Trump…

President Donald Trumps slowness to condemn the Charlottesville, Va., violence and subsequent comments that there was blame on both sides produced outrage, and rightly so.

Republican leaders such as Sens. Jeff Flake, Todd Young and Orrin Hatch condemned his excuse-making for white supremacists and the idea that the protesters and counter-protesters were morally equivalent. The fact that U.S. senators are commenting shows that people in power across political lines are actually talking about racism. That is a good thing.

Much of peoples horror regarding Trumps words comes from the notion that its obvious the president should condemn hate groups, and any show of support or sympathy is unacceptable.

Often, modern forms of racism, prejudice and discrimination are covert, hidden or implicit. It is not politically correct to openly communicate racist notions. Much of the discrimination that occurs is not explicit but rather subtle. For example, studies have shown that simply changing the name from a typically white-sounding name to a black-sounding name on otherwise identical resumes results in a 50 percent decrease in call-back interviews. In fact, there is overwhelming scientific evidence that subtle forms of discrimination exist and persist. However, people are uncomfortable talking about it or even acknowledging that racism could be a factor in areas such as the workplace, higher education, health care and schooling.

Bannons strategy

There is a tendency for people, especially politicians, to avoid topics such as discrimination and racism. Steve Bannon, who stepped down as White House chief strategist, recently said, The longer they (Democrats) talk about identity politics, I got em. I want them to talk about racism every day. If the left is focused on race and identity, and we go with economic nationalism, we can crush the Democrats.

Bannons comment suggests that talking about race and racism is such an unpleasant topic that he would have been able to achieve his political aims by not focusing on or acknowledging it.

Discomfort with racial topics partially stems from the notion that talking about race and racism is politically incorrect. People are so afraid of being called racist or saying something insensitive that they avoid the topic altogether. The covert nature of modern forms of prejudice may also make people reluctant to talk about it. Because these subtle forms of racism are not as obvious, it may be difficult for those who have not experienced or understood discrimination to acknowledge that it exists.

On the other hand, most Americans are comfortable condemning old-fashioned or overt forms of racism. For example, many Americans believe that neo-Nazis and other white supremacists are repugnant, and they arent afraid to voice that opinion.

We do, however, have real reasons to be concerned. The president has a great deal of power, and people turn to him for leadership. Although some have argued that Trump has failed as a leader in several practical ways, at the very least he is still the symbolic leader of our country. Trumps tepid response to the Charlottesville violence has invigorated white supremacists and spurred additional protests.

If we dont talk about racism, we cant begin to fix it.

Germine Awad is an associate professor of educational psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and is an affiliate of the department of African and African Diaspora studies. She wrote this for The Dallas Morning News

In June, Jay Cutler was sharpening his television skills. The retired former Bears quarterback was all set to ease into a life of high-payed leisure. Then Dolphins starter Ryan Tannehill pulled up lame on a routine rollout during the earliest days of Miamis training camp. For showing that he can still fling it pretty good, give the formerly retired Cutler 3 stars

For years, Bill Belichick has advocated for giving coaches the ability to review any aspect of a play. Not that the Patriots head coach knows anything about football or anything, but its not such a crazy idea. The first quarter review that correctly gave the Dolphins the ball back at the 2 was going to be looked at no matter what because it was ruled a turnover. Still, wouldnt it be nice if a coach could review whatever he wanted? For putting unnecessary limits on how a challenge can be used, give the NFL 1 star

What comes after secondary? After Carson Wentz and Jay Cutler clinically dissected both teams defensive backfields in the first half, football fans had to wonder if two safeties, two corners and however many nickel players it will take can cover wide receivers in the second level. For making us consult the old Funk & Wagnalls dictionary to discover the word tertiary, give the defenses 1 star

In Baltimore, they have the Marching Ravens. Its a tradition started started when the Colts were still in town and Johnny Unitas and company ruled the NFL. In Washington, they have the leagues oldest marching band named in the same politically incorrect manner as the team itself and wearing culturally inappropriate uniforms that are even worse. The Eagles have the Drum Line. Baltimore and Washington got it right. Theres something primal about a 200-strong band playing at the football game. A dozen knuckleheads banging drums is sad in comparison. For being a pale comparison to real marching units, give the Silent-R drum line 1 star

Looking for a politically incorrect NASCAR driver? A number of fans have lamented they no longer exist. Do you read all the laments by fans that racers have become corporate friendly automatons? Yes, NASCAR has developed- perhaps to its detriment- a more polished look over the years. Rugged Richard Petty has given way to genteel Jimmie Johnson.

Yes, NASCAR and its participants have recognized the need to represent their benefactors (read that sponsors) well. That means effusive thanksgiving in victory and graciousness in defeat. Remember when Scotts nearly dumped Carl Edwards during his feud with Brad Keselowski? Mars made it clear it was none too happy with Kyle Busch when he earned a one-race suspension for ramming Ron Hornaday Jr. at Texas in 2011. Fans may not dig the politically correct NASCAR driver, buts sponsors love them, especially when the victor launches into a tidy little sales pitch in victory lane a la Edwards.

While NASCARs image has wandered far from the days of moonshiners behind the wheel, the hard-charging, politically incorrect NASCAR driver is not quite extinct. Exhibit A is none other than one Kyle Thomas Busch.

Just about the time we think that Samantha and Coach Gibbs have neutered him, he responds with these choice little digs at his critics (click here). This is a more measured response than what is sometimes seen on the track. No one likes to be hated, but like that immortal philosopher Popeye said, I yam what I yam. Busch seems at peace with it.

If you will allow me to write as a fan for a moment, its not my style. Ill admit I dont root for the likes of Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and I didnt Tony Stewart or Dale Earnhardt back in the day. It aint me, Babe, Bob Dylan would say. Personal opinion aside, I will agree with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in opining that a politically incorrect NASCAR driver like Busch is needed. Deep down inside, the governing body knows it too. The sponsors? Well, that ones a stickier wicket, but if enough Busch fans are buying what hes selling, theyll live with it.

To really make it work, you have to be a winner. One could draw some similarities between the Las Vegas native and former NASCAR free spirit Robby Gordon. But Kyle Busch is a NASCAR champion and 40 time Cup Series winner. Those ends seem to justify the means. If a politically incorrect NASCAR driver isnt a winner, then hes more like a man shouting at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

You see, its most of all the winning the draws the fans. The words and actions of Kyle Busch helps sell the narrative that it is victory that matters most. As much as his legion of critics scream disapproval, his fans can counter with Scoreboard! Winning is a great deodorant.

Politically incorrect NASCAR drivers? If one thinks they have all gone the way of the blue-footed boobie, there is ample evidence to the contrary in Kyle Busch. Just as the NFL needs the Raiders, NASCAR needs a Kyle Busch. A lot of fans dont like him, but theres no small number who wouldnt be the fans they are without him.

Comedy legend Jerry Lewis passed away today. He lived to the ripe old age of 91. Best known for his works The Ladies Man, The Nutty Professor, and The Bellboy, Lewis comedic ability was never truly given the accolades it deserved during the height of his careeruntil 2009, when he was given an honorary Oscar.

Rather than celebrating Lewis as one of Americas finest comedians, Varietys Richard Natale and Carmel Dagan opted instead to pan the actors politically incorrect jokes and vocal right-wing political views in their obituary posted today.

Lewis brand of humor did not always wear well as times and attitudes changed, Variety claims. Over the last 10 years of his life, his reputation soured slightly as he was forced to apologize for making a gay slur on camera during the 2007 telethon, continued to make racist and misogynistic jokes, and didnt hesitate to share his right-wing political views.

Despite having raised more than $2.5 billion dollars for sick children with muscular dystrophy, the publication found it necessary to add an angle about racism and homophobia to his obituary.

Woe betide the actor and film pioneer who dared to stick to his guns instead of bending his knee at the altar of social justice and its politically correct crusaders, who deemed his comedy too risqu for their taste (or lack thereof).

Choosing not to commemorate his achievements in the world of comedy, the humor-challenged publication describes his career as beset by controversy, highlighting Lewis worst flawsthe kind that made him human, which by their standards, made him a bad person.

He was, by his own admission, an impatient man, and over the years battled numerous illnesses and a prescription drug dependency, Variety claims gleefully. His parting with [Dean] Martin in 1956 after 10 years as a duo was acrimonious. And the telethons were awash in claims that there was a disparity between the money pledged and the money collected.

The piece goes on to state how Lewis had eventually become irrelevant to the American publicor in their words, Americans largely dismissed him, stating that he had developed a following with French film journals by directing uninspired fare later in the 70s.

Despite some faint, but damning praise about his performance in Scorceses The King of Comedy and Wiseguy, the writers added a caveat to say that his later work failed to impress.

Missing from the condemnatory article are Lewis contributions to his pioneering use of video assist in filmmaking. As a director, Lewis is credited with inventing the precursor to the complex system, which allows filmmakers to view a video version of a take immediately after it is filmed. When he was filming The Bellboy in 1960, he used a video camera to record scenes simultaneously alongside his film camera.

It must be a real joy for two hacks to highlight Jerry Lewis flaws to override all the good he didboth for filmmaking, and for the world in general.

Ian Miles Cheong is a journalist and outspoken media critic. You can reach him through social media at@stillgray on Twitterand onFacebook.

Earlier this month, UFC bantamweight champ Cody Garbrandt and bantamweight contender Aljamain Sterling got into it on Twitter. This beef started innocently enough, but blew up when Garbrandt called Sterling boy, a comment that was immediately criticized for its racial undertone.

On Mondays edition of The MMA Hour, Garbrandt explained where his beef with Sterling began,

I dont like that guy, Garbrandt said (h/t Peter Carroll of MMAFighting.com).

He got all mad because over a year ago I told him that he was overrated. So the guy starts running his mouth and I see a TMZ report that he said he was going to kill me. So I was like, Oh youre going to kill me?

So I took a screen shot and I sent it to him in a DM and he acted like a little bitch and thats what he is.

Garbrandt also addressed his boy comment, assuring he didnt realize the negative connotation of it, and admitting that another word might have been better.

I should have called him a little bitch, not boy, I didnt know that it was politically incorrect. I got a shirt that says Hanging with the boys, I call everybody boy. You know, whats up, boy, I didnt know that it was politically incorrect.

I am not in the least bit racist. I have a sister thats married to a black guy. I have a niece that is a mixed (race) child.

Though this exchange is now in the rear-view, Garbrandt said that he will not hold back if sees Sterling in person.

For him to go out there and try to ride off that fame, I told that fool that the next time I see him Im going to f*ck him up, Garbrandt said.

Next time I see him he better have his hands up.

Who do you think wins a fight between Cody Garbrandt and Aljamain Sterling?

My brother Kelvin recently said that going to see a preseason NFL football game is like going to see your favorite band audition new members.

That was definitely what the Raiders- Rams game on Saturday night felt likeespecially the second half.

It was heartening to see quarterback Derek Carr slinging it to Michael Crabtree or Cooooooooop or better yet handing it off to Beast Mode for the first time.

Defense though? Oi.

Khalil Mack had a monster sack on Rams quarterback Jared Goff, which was just about the sole Raiders defensive highlight of the entire game.

The Rams were hardly a powerhouse in 2016 and their anemic 4-12 record resulted in their head coach Jeff Fisher getting a cleated boot to the backside. So thats why it was startling how many times Saturday night Raider defenders were so far out of position that their only hope of stopping wide open Rams receivers from catching passes would be to fling their helmets at them.

Look, the Raiders offense is potent, I get that. What matters in the NFL is having at least one more point than the other team when the clock reads all zeroes at the end of the game (and Im still hoping to see one won by a 2-0 score some day by the way). Having the reigning Comeback Kid as QB is a wonderful asset, but defense winsyou know the rest.

Last year at this time, my hope/expectation for the team was that they finally have a winning season. They won 12 games and got a playoff berth. This year, I want them to win the AFC West.

That means beating a certain Midwest divisional foe with a politically incorrect name who wear garish ketchup and mustard colored costumes. Not looking past Denver or San Dieger, Los Angeles, but it has been a while since Ive enjoyed Chiefs fans forced silence.

I loved the grit displayed last season when Carr led so many thrilling late-game comebacks, but this season, at home games, I want to weed out any bandwagon fans. Some come for the excitement of game-on-the-line heroicsI want them to be bored.

I want the Raiders to be consistently dominant so that that by the third quarter of each game the lead is so insurmountable that only diehards like yours truly will want to stay and savor every single last second.

In short, I want to regularly see visiting teams get a smackdown/beatdown when they come to downtown Oaktown.

Fairfield Raider fanalistpart fan, part journalistTony Wade knows it is only preseason. Reach him at toekneeweighed@gmail.com

Every time I go out to pick raspberries I come home with chiggers. They itch like the blazes and especially so in very sensitive places. What are chiggers and why am I plagued by them?

Thanks, Itchy

Dear Itchy,

Americans should not have to tolerate rude behavior, especially from something as small as a chigger! And yet, that is just what we are exposed to every summer from May through September throughout the country. Chiggers are adolescent mites, so tiny that they are seldom seen. Several can actually fit on the period at the end of this sentence.

Most self-respecting mites feed on plants. It is only the teenage mites that bite people. Apparently, once they mature to adulthood, they grow out of their immature and obnoxious behavior of biting people, and live the rest of their lives feeding peacefully on plants.

Gangs of juvenile chiggers all have the following M.O. (modus operandi). They hang out on the tips of tall grasses, shrubs and weeds and wait to drop off onto any larger animal that happens to brush by. Usually these animals are birds, amphibians or small mammals but the mites are just as happy with the odd human that passes by. When chigger mites fall onto shoes or pant legs, they begin climbing in search of tender, moist skin to bite. They seem to concentrate in areas where clothing fits tightly against the body, such as around the ankles, groin, waist or armpits. This is exactly the rude behavior that I am talking about. A bite on an arm or back of the neck can be scratched in public. But public scratching of the groin, armpits or under the bra strap is an entirely different matter. It is socially unacceptable, politically incorrect and may even be illegal in some countries.

But, scratch you must. Once chiggers bite, there is no alternative. Chiggers do not burrow into the skin but rather pierce skin cells with their mouthparts and inject their special chigger saliva. This saliva contains enzymes that break down cell walls and causes the skin cells to liquefy. Meanwhile, human immune systems quickly react to this foreign enzyme resulting in, not only infuriatingly and intense itching, but also in the formation of a hard, red wall at the location of the bite. Chiggers capitalize on this body reaction by using the round wall, called a stylostome, as a straw to suck up their meals of dissolved body tissues, and then they promptly drop off. They are gone. They seem to never think twice about the trouble they have caused others. Meanwhile, the itching intensifies over the next 20 to 30 hours even though the mite is no longer present. Depending on the persons individual sensitivity and body reaction, itching may continue for days or even weeks.

So, what can be done? And probably most important, how does one stop chigger bites from itching?

Well, aside from amputation, physicians can sometimes prescribe an antiseptic/hydrocortisone ointment. This may help ease the itch and reduce chances of secondary infections caused by the itching and scratching, but it is not a perfect answer.

The best solution is prevention. Avoid getting into chiggers in the first place. Stay away from tall grasses and shrubs where chiggers are known to live. Chiggers love to live in brambles, as most people who pick black raspberries know or quickly learn. They also inhabit taller grasses close to the ponds and streams where bank fishermen stand. (Both raspberry pickers and fishermen can easily be spotted due to their obsessive scratching).

If you must go in those areas, tuck your pant legs into your socks and apply insect repellant containing DEET to the shoe and ankle area. This will stop many of the mites from gaining access to the skin and beginning their climb to areas where clothing fits tightly. (Theoretically, avoiding tight-fitting clothes or even going naked might help. If nothing else, it will certainly confuse the little biters not to mention friends and neighbors.)

I have found that if you know or suspect that you have been in chigger-infested habitats, take a hot, soapy shower as soon as possible. The mites are so small that it may take them several hours to crawl from shoes to where they want to bite, so you have plenty of time to wash them away. This is an effective prevention. Change your clothes and put the clothes you were wearing into the washer and dryer.

These methods are for the prevention of bites, but since you have already been bitten, happy itching.

Tim Gibb is a professor of entomology at Purdue University. He can be reached at gibb@purdue.edu

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has just given an appalling speech. From beginning to end it embraces bean-counting on the basis of race, ethnicity, and sex in order to reach the right percentages of this, that, and the other.Secretary Tillerson specifically promises a State Department Rooney Rule: Every time we have an opening for an ambassador position, at least one of the candidates must be a minority candidate. Not only is such race-based hiring divisive, unfair, and an endorsement of just the sort of identity politics that we ought to have learned by now is poisonous, but it is illegal.

This must have been quite a speech! So I clicked. Here are the relevant bits:

We have a great diversity gap in the State Department.Only about 12 percent of our senior Foreign Service officers are non-white. That number is about the same for our senior executive service.

To better understand our talent pool, I have directed the relevant committees to adopt a new procedure. Every time we have an opening for an ambassador position, at least one of the candidates must be a minority candidate. Now they may not be ready, but we will know where the talent pool is. A big part of developing our minority leadership is identifying qualified individuals five and 10 years before they are ready to become senior leaders and managing and developing their careers, as we do others, so that theyre undergoing preparations for those senior roles over time.

.Were also going to re-examine and expand where we recruit from. As some of you know better than most, Americas best and brightest are not just from the Ivy League, but theyre from a lot of other places in the country Laredo, Texas; Detroit, Michigan; Roanoke, Virginia. Theyre kids sitting on the front row of their high school classes, theyre veterans from our military who are coming out of service looking for the next part of their career, and many of them with a strong desire to continue to serve their country. And theyre so gifted in many ways from many walks of life.

Tillerson doesnt embrace bean-counting in order to reach the right percentages of this, that, and the other. He merely points out that 88 percent of Foreign Service officers are white. Nor does he really endorse the Rooney Rule. He does say that at least one minority candidate should be interviewed for all ambassador positions, but not because theyre likely to be hired. He wants to do this so we will know where the talent pool is. He explicitly says that hes trying to identify non-white staffers five or ten years before they are ready to become senior leaders.

In addition, he wants the State Department to start recruiting from outside the Ivy League, something that any conservative ought to applaud. I certainly applaud it.

This is the problem with conservatives and race. National Review has been pretty good on Charlottesville, but when you turn to lower-profile things like Tillersons speech they suddenly become tone deaf. Tillerson is hardly offering anything radical here. He notes that the State Department is a pretty white outfit. He proposes a concrete program to start developing minority talent early. He says they want to start recruiting in places outside the Ivy League. He says theyre going to start recruiting more from the US military. He says diversity is good: And so whether its African American, Latino, Hispanic, women, LGBT, come with experiences I do not know. This enriches the quality of our work. We know we are a stronger organization when we embrace, incorporate diverse points of view into our work product.

This is a very modest program. Its not as if Tillerson has invited Black Lives Matter over to advise the State Department. And yet Clegg is outraged. Its divisive, poisonous, illegal, and the crudest of stereotyping. The answer to racial discrimination, he says, is to do absolutely nothing: This weeks lesson for the Trump administration: It needs to embrace E pluribus unum, and make clear its categorical rejection of identity politics and race-based policy and action, whether politically correct or politically incorrect.

Nothing. And then conservatives complain that nonwhites all mindlessly vote for the Democratic Party.